Biblical Curses

When you read the Bible, you will come across curses that come from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).  God pronounces curses on people who turn against Him. 

One might think, “Yeah, but that is all in the Old Testament under a different time, but we are living in the New Testament time period. There are no curses there.” Wrong.

Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-21)?  When Jesus cursed the fig tree, it was a symbol of a divine curse on the nation Israel for its rejection on their Messiah. The curse that comes out of the mouth of Jesus is directly from heaven. There is a curse from God when God is not pleased. That curse is severe and everlasting.

“Okay,” you say.  “But that curse came upon the nation Israel.  No other curses can be found coming out of the mouth of God.”  Wrong.

Check out this one:  ^“If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed!” (1 Cor. 16:22).  Damnation is pronounced on anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever your religion, if you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ you are cursed.

But hold on, there is more.  Over in Galatians 1:8-9, Paul pronounces a curse on anyone who preaches or teaches a different gospel – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! “As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!”

The word “curse” in these passages is the word anathema, and it means, “devoted to destruction.” So what exactly does this mean? We find the answer over in Romans 9 – ^“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ.”

So what does it mean to be cursed?  It means to be cut off (or separated) from Christ forever.

But there’s more. Over in Matthew 25:41, Jesus said these words:  “Depart from Me, you accursed, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Therefore, to be cursed – devoted to destruction -- is to be separated from Christ in eternal hell forever.  Those cursed in the Old Testament are there now. Those cursed by Jesus in the nation of Israel at the time they rejected Him are there now. Those propagating a false gospel during the apostolic era that Paul addresses in Galatians 1 are there in the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and separated from God and Christ now. And continually throughout all of human history, those who do not come in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ to love Him, acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior are cursed and are sent to eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Biblical curses are very severe! It applies to anyone who perverts the gospel of grace, who hates Jesus, who rejects Jesus Christ – all of whom are cursed!   A biblical Anathema is pronounced on all of them.

Why don’t we hear this from the pulpits of our churches?  Is it because we wish not to offend anyone?  In the church are two kinds of people – fans of Christ and followers of Christ. Fans of Christ are taking Christianity much like one takes a class for audit. A person takes a class for audit because they just wish to hear the lecture, the teaching, no homework, no tests, no requirement other than to show up. Many of our churches have these kinds of people frequenting the Sunday services. They are there only as “fans” of Christ.

But true “followers” of Christ are not so in abundance. They are present to suffer, to take tests, to persevere, to serve, and to surrender their lives to Christ in humble obedience. They take God’s curses seriously and they seriously warn others about it as well.

If we are not careful, we will expound the gospel only up to a point where it does not become offensive. When we do this, are we then preaching a different gospel?